All too many times I get asked, “how long is the warranty and will the film look the same 5 or 7 years later from the day it was put on?” Now to answer that question I like to ask this simple question in return. If you were to go and buy a brand new car off the show room floor, will it look like the day you drove it off the show room floor 5 or 7 years later? He or she usually laughs and says “well I guess that depends on how well I take care of it”, which is exactly how I respond to their initial question regarding the product. Another thing to think about is this. Let’s pretend for a minute that their was a film that did not age whatsoever and looked like the day it was installed 7, 10, 15 years later. What will the rest of the vehicle look like? The front end would stand out like a sore thumb because it would be immaculate while the rest of the vehicle would show signs of aging!

An example: if you took three black painted panels and set panel A outside for a period of one year, waxing it daily, panel B outside never touching it, and panel C inside an enclosed dark room that all three will look different after on year? Panel C will look like the day you placed it in the room, panel B will look slightly different from panel A because of the damaging elements of outdoor exposure, and panel B will more than likely show some harsher damage from the same elements of outdoor exposure. What everyone needs to understand is that these protective films are porous and so is the paint on your vehicle! Both will expand in the hot sun and can absorb dirt and moisture which makes it important to keep both surfaces clean when possible. When it comes to cleaning protective films, you need to understand that the use of waxes and polishes containing dyes will cause the film to discolor, primarily turning yellow, gold, or a light brown color. I recommend to use PLEXUS or Ice Polish by Turtle Wax. Also remember that bird droppings, tree sap, bug acids, mineral deposits from hard water, and acid rain (to name a few) can potentially damage the painted surface, so what effect do you think they will have on the beautiful surface of the paint protection film? They can cause damage as well, so it is important to remove these immediately if encountered. Remember, the job of the film is to protect the surface beneath it and your job is to do the best you can keeping both looking new.

Something that I found very interesting this past week just happens to be the way operate my own business and also walk the same path in my own life. ‘Treat others as you want to be treated’. By following this I have been able to take my business to a level I never dreamed of, and for me this is the only way to run a business. I was in one of my dealerships last week with a friend who was very curious to ask why they chose to do business with me instead of the competition. I asked my finance manager for a few minutes and with a great smile she invited us in. When my friend asked that very question she said, “besides the fact the Mike is fast, reliable, and his work is always A+, I know that I can ALWAYS call on him for ANYTHING and he will make sure it is met promptly and in a professional manner. Also, he will speak directly with our customers if I need for him to which is something our other vendors refuse to do.” Standing there and hearing this, I was astonished (only about the other vendors refusing to speak directly to their clients) and had to question the truth about this statement. She explained that other vendors simply do not want the hassle of dealing directly with a customer full of questions, and sometimes she just does not have all the answers. The most interesting part of this (I found out later) is that she sells our product over any other product they offer and the reason why is because she is confident when it comes to our product PRIMARILY because of the level of service we provide. For me, it is indeed a rewarding feeling when you hear something so positive and that is when you know that all of the hard work has paid off.

Try and implement this very same ‘rule’ into your business making sure you nurture the ‘seed’ along the way and watch it grow into something you never dreamed of!

-Mike

Too many times we see great products fall mercy to the hands of consumers who do not know how to properly care for something the way it should be cared for. Yellowing of urethane films is often one, if not the biggest, complaint. Yet, what a lot of people do not realize is that the yellowing is not a direct result from UV exposure from the sun, but rather from products that contain dyes being applied to them. We tell the consumer to ‘wash and wax frequently’, but ‘with what?’ is the question that needs to be clarified.

For example, ‘Joe’ just had film installed on his white car and is told to keep the material clean and waxed frequently in order to get the maximum performance from the product. Joe does just what he is told and uses a nice yellow paste wax once to twice a month. The material maintains a nice, smooth, shiny finish, but starts looking more yellow every week. After a few months, Joe returns for what he sees as an arguable warranty issue for yellowing. What Joe doesn’t realize is the damage was caused by him, but at the fault of the dealer for not educating him properly on what type of products should and should not be used on the film. These types of situations can be avoided by simply providing a detailed care/maintenance sheet along with the warranty.

As dealers, go the extra step and take the guesswork out by providing the customer with a micro-fiber cloth and a can of Plexus (or a similar product) that is safe and easy to use – this will keep the film looking new and provide plenty of protection. Make sure the customer is aware that anything that can potentially damage the painted surface can also damage the film. It is important to regularly clean your car as dirt, grime, road oil, insects, and bird and tree droppings will cause permanent damage. The same goes for the film and should be noted in your warranty. Remember, the kind of education that we teach is the key.

The 80’s called and wants their Hypercolor shirts brought back knowing that “expensive cars can nowadays shimmer in many colours in response to temperature and humidity, thanks to progress in the field of colloid chemistry, the chemistry of small particles… read more“. Another company apparently has had something similar.

Car exterior? Yeah, that’s if you want a big red splotch on the bonnet just above the engine when it warms up. Many possibilities though… it can be very useful for, say, coating radiators or intercoolers for testing and comparison purposes. You can visually inspect the efficiency of the product. Or outdoor fixtures to get a glance of what the temperature is.

Imagine if the paint can change color in response to electricity - changing the entire body color with the press of a button.

Adhesive problems can lower the quality of your paint protection film installation and can turn an otherwise smooth installation into a frustrating ordeal. We’ll discuss what causes adhesive failure and lay out simple steps to avoid these problems.

Three main problems can result in the film not sticking to the surface:

    1. Handling the film needlessly
    2. Improper solution mixtures
    3. Lack of prep for the surface

Handling The Film Needlessly

The adhesive used on paint protection films is generally pressure sensitive and needs to be handled with care. While you can touch the adhesive, unlike window films, you must remember not to handle the adhesive needlessly. An important rule needs to be remembered: the more you touch the adhesive, the less it will want to stick. You may not realize the amount of oils your fingertips have and each time you touch the adhesive, you run the potential of transferring oil onto the adhesive. So here’s what you can do about this…

Before the application, it is important to wash your hands thoroughly with soap to get rid of excess oil, dirt, and debris. Next, you can take an extra step and spray your alcohol solution onto your fingertips while rubbing them together. You should always keep your fingers wet while handling the film.

One thing I see a lot of people do is after they have laid an area of film down with the squeegee, if they need to lift that area back up, they lift the film without spraying. If the area has been squeegeed, then the adhesive is dry and they are touching the adhesive with dry fingertips – a sure way to cause adhesive failure.

Improper Solution Mixtures

Your soap solution and alcohol solutions can also result in adhesive problems if they’re not mixed correctly. If you have too much soap in your solution, the soap can embed itself onto the adhesive and can be very difficult to remove, resulting in adhesive failure. It is easier to start with 2-3 small drops of baby shampoo and then add if necessary. Of course, you can always add more but you can’t remove once you have sprayed the adhesive.

Your alcohol solution can also be a huge problem if not mixed correctly. Most people think using straight alcohol makes the film adhere rather quickly. In most cases, this is just the opposite. The alcohol is used to flush the soap away or can be used to apply a small piece very quickly. If the alcohol is too concentrated, this may result in adhesive failure. The alcohol should be mixed at approximately 60-70% water and 40-30% alcohol using a 70% isopropyl. *Different films may require a different mixture and you should consult with your manufacturer before application.*

Lack of Prep for the Surface

Prepping the surface properly will help to expedite the installation and make the whole process run smoothly. We recommend a general purpose adhesive cleaner that is safe for the painted surface; mineral spirits will do also. Use this prepping agent ONLY on the edges of the vehicle and deep/sharp valleys where the film will be applied. Using the prepping agent on the entire surface is not recommended.

After using the prep agent, it is then recommended to use a surface cleaner such as 3M’s Gloss Enhancer or a detailer’s quick wipe clear spray. This will thoroughly clean the surface without removing the wax from the middle portion of the hood/bumper. If these procedures are followed, then later removal of the film will not be as hard (and potentially damaging) on the surface of the paint.

Keep those simple points in mind and you’ll have much smoother and better-looking installations.

First, we want to give a big thank you to those who stopped by our booth at the SEMA show this year. It was great to catch up with friends in the industry and was certainly a blast getting to know new people.

As some of you probably already know, our special guest was bodybuilding’s most recognized and personable athlete, Jay Cutler! As a 4-time Mr. Olympia Runner-up, you gotta hand it to the guy for his unwavering dedication to the sport… we’re talking over 14 years of rigorous workouts and tough commitment - that’s truly inspiring! It was quite a sensation when Jay showed up, as swarms of people gathered to meet the likeable Jay. He had a great time signing autographs and getting pictures taken with people. His only regret was not bringing more posters!

We want to thank Jay again for hanging out with us to show his support for our product, which he proudly uses on his vehicles. And another nod for taking the time to give an unexpected appearance for his fans and admirers. For more information about Jay, check out his website at www.jaycutler.com.

Next, our ultimate “pro-tection” alluded to earlier was actually covering an entire car with our StoneShield™ film! It was a fresh novelty that garnered a ton of “Wow’s”. But we didn’t do it just for fun. Our intent was to illustrate the high skill-level of the patterns we use (all the film was completely designed) and show the versatility and conformability of our film product. You can see the attention-to-detail of the film in the following shot:

Travis performed installation demonstrations and answered many questions:

Til next time,

PRO-TECT FILM Team

Check us out at the SEMA 2005 show in Las Vegas November 1-4 . “The SEMA Show is the premier automotive specialty products trade event in the world. It draws the industry’s brightest minds and hottest products to one place, the Las Vegas Convention Center. ” (www.semashow.com)

We did something really cool to REALLY “pro-tect” a car. Plus, sometime during the week, we’ll be having a secret guest in our booth who personifies the strength of our film product so stop on by at our booth #12310.

PRO-TECTFILM.com is both old and new. Old in its mission to provide superior customer service focusing on distribution and installation in the automotive paint protection industry. New in its design and web presence. Welcome and thanks for stopping by.